If I Could Touch The Moon
by bubblytokki
Summary: I Would Rather Reach For the Stars. AU. He clenched his fist tightly against his thigh. Even to this day, no one acknowledged him or cared.
1. Kidnapping

If I Could Touch The Moon, I'd Rather Reach for the Stars...  
  
Rating: pg-13  
  
By: bubblybunnie  
  
Uahhh~~! This fanfiction writing is sooo difficult. I wish I could get around and actually finish something.. teeheehee.. just playing.. more like get around and post something rather than leave it on my computer. This is my first naruto ficcie... so please be kind and as always... I don't own naruto or any of its wonderful characters.  
  
".." Speaking  
  
'...' Thoughts  
  
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~~~~~~~~  
  
KNOCK KNOCK!  
  
Jiraiya, the ero sennin had dragged him all the way over to the next town after the disastrous chunnin examination to supposedly teach him more and more jutsus, but all the ero sennin did was go ga-ga over the first beautiful lady that enamored the ero sennin and sent him upstairs to the room, only to come and abuse the poor door. Sheesh~!  
  
A boy in an orange jumpsuit grumpily stalked to the door, muttering, "all right, I'm coming! Sheesh! Impatient ero sennin!" Once at the door, he threw it open and grouchily glared at the intruder, only to open his eyes in bleary eyes in surprise.  
  
'Sharingan? Sasuke? No, it isn't. This person is older. Then... who is this?' the boy thought desperately as he gazed up helplessly into unique crimson eyes. The person had dark, midnight blue hair that cascading down the side of his face. Twin scars ran down from the stranger's eyes to his cheek and wore a Konoha headband with a line etched into the middle of the emblem. A flowing, dark cape covered the majority of the stranger's body, and the only thing he could glean about the stranger was his startling beauty in a male.  
  
"Mange Sharingan," the stranger whispered. "You will remember the painful sting of rejection and loneliness of your childhood for the next 12 hours."  
  
The boy's body went rigid as painful memories began to overtake his consciousness.  
  
"...," The stranger simply turned and glanced at his companion. A man with shark like features and a shock of unruly hair nodded at the unsaid demand and hefted the little brat over his shoulders.  
  
"Kisame, let us leave before the sennin returns," Itachi commanded coolly, his eyes level to Kisame as a warning of punishment if not heeded, "I do not want an unnecessary skirmish."  
  
"Hai, hai," Kisame answered as he followed Itachi san out to the forest surrounding the town they had entered to grab the kyubi brat. The journey had been more uneventful and boring than he thought it should have been.  
  
***  
  
He remembered the hatred of the villagers as they glared at him blatantly.  
  
"What's that awful smell?" one of the villagers remarked snidely.  
  
"Gross. It's that kyubi brat. Stay away from him," another one replied distastefully.  
  
"Shhh... remember we're not supposed to say anything about that," an elder villager rebuked.  
  
"Why didn't they just kill him or something."  
  
"Go away you brat~! Can't you see you are not wanted here?"  
  
He remembered whimpering in pain and loneliness. Sometimes they would even throw stones at him. 'Why doesn't anyone look at me with kind eyes? Am I that disgusting?' Wiping the tears from his eyes, he ran into the forest, where none of the other children dared to play and huddled as he wailed brokenheartedly.  
  
***  
  
"Iruka sensei, isn't it all right to pass him? I mean, he did manage a bunshin," Mizuki sensei commented to Iruka sensei. He looked up hopefully in the center of the room. Maybe he would pass after all.  
  
"No. Even if he made a bunshin, it wouldn't be useful at all. He fails," Iruka sensei replied firmly.  
  
He clenched his fist tightly against his thigh. Even to this day, no one acknowledged him or cared. Bitterly he ran out of the room as he recalled Iruka sensei's cold voice echo in his mind.  
  
"Failure."  
  
"Dobe."  
  
"Idiot."  
  
"What a stupid child."  
  
"No wonder his parents abandoned him."  
  
He blindly ran into the welcoming darkness as the words were thrown at him. 'It's not true! I'm stronger now! See... I can summon a toad! I'm already a genin. Stop it!' he cried out in his mind, his hands covering his ears as he continued to run. Abruptly, he doubled over in pain and all his thoughts reflected the cruel words of the villagers. He screamed as he struggled to his feet and finally, full unconsciousness settled in.  
  
***  
  
"Itachi san, once more you terrify me with your ability," Kisame casually remarked as he carried the kyubi brat over his shoulder.  
  
"...," Itachi critically looked at the child as they gracefully zoomed past through the trees. The kid was short for his age, with sun-kissed golden blood hair and masculine features, unlike his own sharply defined, beautiful features. Three pairs of 'whiskers' lined the boy's cheeks and a Konoha head band covered a part of the boy's forehead. Itachi wrinkled his nose in distaste in a rare display of emotion as he looked over the boy's clothes. The blindingly orange jumpsuit didn't allow any camouflage at all and could be seen from hundreds of meters away. "Kisame. We will stop at the building,"  
  
"Hai hai, Itachi san," Kisame replied, almost obediently. There was no denying that Itachi san was the stronger one and Kisame wasn't foolish enough to do anything to irritate Itachi san.  
  
Itachi led the way into a secluded entrance that blended in with the surrounding green foliage. It was hard to see even when you were staring straight at it, unless you knew exactly where it was, which made it useful as a secret rendezvous location for those he deigned to enlighten. Quickly, he glanced over the forest to sense if there were any pursuers. Finding none, Itachi swiftly located the contraption that opened the door and led them into a dark underground passage. Even the best of shinobi's eyes would have difficulty dilating appropriately to see adequately. Of course, Itachi was the cream of the crop and had no difficulty adjusting to any and all extreme changes of conditions. His eyes flashed, calculating the future usefulness of Kisame, now that he had the nine-tails brat.  
  
"Kisame... put the boy down," Itachi commanded quietly. Kisame complied automatically and didn't have enough time to respond as he found himself staring into the Mange Sharingan.  
  
"Itachi... you...," Kisame gurgled in shock as Itachi, in a move too fast to detect, stabbed Kisame in the heart. "Naze...da...," he managed coughing up blood.  
  
"Since you have the benefit of dying, I will tell you. I share power with no one, not you, nor the Akatsuki. The kyubi brat is mine," Itachi answered graciously as he watched the eyes of his companion of three years dull until it stilled in death, frozen in shock and betrayal.  
  
Smirking at the body, Itachi quickly performed a jutsu that enabled him to learn all of Kisame's jutsus and knowledge. Disappointed at the lack of new jutsus, Itachi merely shrugged and snapped his fingers, creating a molten flame to dispose of the body. He did not willingly share anything that would make anyone other than himself stronger. Gently, Itachi lifted the kyuubi brat from the ground and carried him in his arms down the passageway to his temporary home. He had train the brat to be his tool after all.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
^^;; I hope this story was.. tolerable~! Thank you for reading.  
  
Okay.. this is a bit elementary I know.. but how do you keep someone italicized and bold. It seems that every time I upload... it reverts back to the normal style. _  
Top of Form  
Bottom of Form 


	2. A change of plans

If I could touch the moon, I'd rather touch the stars  
  
by: bubblytokki  
  
rating: pg-13  
  
Credit to the SOC puppet for the wonderful idea of Itachi being a spy for Konoha. Bloodlines and The Eye of the Beholder are excellent, must read stories~!  
  
Reply to reviews (thank you very much to the following for reviewing!):  
  
Licht Sieger: ^^;; I know it was a little repetitive.. It would be nice to have a beta reader. :) I'll probably edit the entire story once I complete it. love-chibiis: Yeah, I love itachi too~! He is just sooo... stoic. So much better than sasuke..~_^  
  
ruby-tears: About the transitions, yeah it was a little tough for me in that I didn't want to write any names until the last moment. Weird buy in my system (as in me, not my computer)  
  
Lady dragon: It's been fun writing it. Hopefully, I can write down what's in my head adequately enough for people to like it and finish this story.  
  
pyr00tje: I'm hoping to finish it too... although it will probably be a multi-chapter, although I am not sure how many chapters it will be.  
  
kungpaochicken: Teehee... I'll try to find a beta reader to fix the silly things like that.. ^^ Thanks for being the first to review~!  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Chapter 2: A change of plans  
  
Something was poking his side rather insistently. Groaning and weak, he tried to open his heavy eyes. The nightmare of his childhood left a bitter taste in his mouth. Why did he have a dream of the past? Wasn't it enough that he had lived through it?  
  
* Do you want to be strong? * a voice whispered seductively. * So strong that no one can defeat you *... He nodded blearily. If he was strong, people would acknowledge him and it would be much easier to become the next Hokage. Especially now that the Sandaime was dead.  
  
The incessant poking renewed. His arm felt like jelly as he attempted to swat at the offending annoyance only to have his arm barely budge. Couldn't whoever was poking him see he was out for the count?  
  
"Brat... wake up," a cool voice stated.  
  
He tested his vocal cords to see if whatever knocked him out in the first place cut his throat.  
  
"uuhh..." he managed proudly. His voice still worked! Which meant that his head was still attached to his body and he was relatively alive. Although that in itself was uncertain since he could barely move at all.  
  
Someone or something sighed and he stiffened.  
  
"uuuuuuuhhhhh...." he croaked. Ohh, mega-score! He could say something longer than before. He grinned mentally to himself as he attempted to say something more. "Wa.......aa.....t..eer....," he whispered triumphantly. Before he knew it, something moist was pressed against his parched lips. Greedily he sucked at the liquid as if it was the last drink he was ever going to swallow. Something cool pressed itself against his suddenly feverish forehead. Considering that the mystery person was seeing to his needs, he relaxed. Surely this person wouldn't kill him if they are going through the trouble of healing him.  
  
"Tch," the unknown person muttered. "Figures a gaki like him would catch a fever."  
  
'I'm not a gaki!' he cried out loud in his head, his pride injured. 'I'm the ninja who will be Hokage some day!' His head began to pound furiously as his mind began to swirl in dizzying shapes and colors.  
  
"What a waste of time. I suppose I must send for Tsunade-sama," the person attending to his needs cursed under his breath and left the room. Although how he could tell the stranger left the room, he couldn't figure out because that person didn't make a sound when moving around. 'Creepy.'  
  
He really wanted to look around. But for once, the dumb kyubi's chakra didn't seem to be healing him. Or maybe it did, and he was psychologically unable to move. Of course, analyzing a situation was totally out of character. But it wasn't everyday one found themselves at the mercy of a veritable stranger with the power to save you or leave you to rot and die of hunger. Speaking of hunger, he mentally winced as his stomach gurgled. Loudly. 'Ramen, ramen, ramen...,' he mentally chanted to himself. He would do practically anything for ramen. Thinking of food before anything else was true to character, and he felt relieved that he was still sane. At least, to his standards. His thirst had been alleviated and now he was hungry and there was no way to relay that necessity when the supposed caretaker was not around. Shrugging mentally in disgust, he promptly fell asleep. It had been too trying to communicate the need for water after all.  
  
***  
  
He cursed. How was he supposed to steal the chakra of the kyubi when the host wasn't even able to stand up? Although it was partially his fault since he had induced the comatose state. But surely, the kyubi was able to protect its host from such dangers? Finding the healer would be so much trouble. First, he had to find the appropriate gambling hall. Then, he had to gamble away whatever currency he had to appease her (although she was a terrible gambler, it took skill to lose to her). And then convince her never to tell anyone of his hidden home. Lastly, he had to do this all in a day so the brat would still have a fighting chance. It was a hassle and had he been the type of person to vent out his frustrations physically, the little brat would be dead, and a town or two would be destroyed.  
  
He sighed. This day was not looking any brighter. He almost regretted disposing of Kisame. Kisame had been a useful messenger and so willing to do whatever he had commanded him to.  
  
He sped his way to the nearest town, famous for its wonderful gambling halls, well-endowed women, and merry bars.  
  
Strolling down the streets, he realized it was dark. He didn't know he had been holed up in his home for so long considering that it had been early afternoon when he had kidnapped the brat. He found himself in the gambling district and wondered which building to go in. Even with his deadly aura, women still flocked to him, gambling their lives for an opportunity to touch him. He hated being a pretty boy. He remembered a time when women swooned over the scars on his face and called him the most dangerous, sexiest, gorgeous, handsome, breath-taking, beautiful, strong, admirable man on the planet, all in one breath. But he had ended their pitiful little existences, a waste of time really, and women realized they needed to avoid him to see the next sunrise in their poor forsaken lives.  
  
So lost was he in his reflective state that he was actually surprised to see a man fly out of a nearby gambling hall right before him followed by a dozen or two beer bottles. Glaring distastefully at the man and the bottles, but unwillingly to cause a scene, he deftly dodged the bottles and restrained himself from killing the man. It just wasn't fun to kill weaklings.  
  
"Itachi-kun?" the drunken query came from an extremely well-endowed women who looked no older than twenty-five. Blond hair was tied back in a low pony-tail and heartbroken soulful brown eyes gazed at him.  
  
Just the person he was looking for. Considering she was already drunk was a plus and the needy tone would also help him convince her to come with him temporarily.  
  
"Tsunade-sama, I have a... student who is very ill. I was ... training him to overcome the Mange Sharingan... he will die without you," Itachi asked politely, neck bowed down in respect, and his body language signaling that he was not in a 'kill everyone with skill' mode.  
  
She blearily looked up at the man who had once saved Konoha from a conspiracy. The man, who had been a young boy at the time, no older than thirteen, grew to be more handsome every time she saw him. Such a tragedy for him to go through all that he had. Imagine the excruciating pain of killing your entire family line to save a village anyone could hardly care about.  
  
"Itachi-kun... are you still...?" she hesitantly questioned, worry filling her eyes for the boy who had once been Dan's student, although Itachi had surpassed his teacher in less than two years.  
  
"We should not discuss that subject in public, Tsunade-sama. For my student, time is of the essence," Itachi smoothly cut in. It wouldn't do to have the brat die when he had to go through so much trouble for him.  
  
She nodded as she answered, "Lead the way, Itachi-kun."  
  
***  
  
"Itai~!" the boy yelled out in pain, more for the sheer joy of hearing himself able to yell rather than the procedure being painful.  
  
"Urusai, gaki," Itachi complained as he looked away in annoyance. This brat would be the end of his carefully constructed stoicism.  
  
"Oy! I have a name you know! I'm Uzumaki Naruto and you better remember it because I'm going to be Hokage one day!" Naruto declared proudly, his index finger pointed toward his chest in glee. He could move around and speak coherently. "Um... who are you guys anyway?"  
  
If Itachi had been a lesser man, he would have face vaulted. However, being the emotionless man he was, he was able to stay standing with a sweat drop as Tsunade began to glow inhumanely with fiery chakra.  
  
"Itachi-kun," she began in a falsetto kind voice, "YOU BRING ME OVER HERE TO SAVE A BRAT WHO ISN'T A STUDENT OF YOURS AND WASTE MY TIME!" Her eyes were distorted and tiny dilated pupils promised a painful retribution.  
  
A loud crash disrupted the irate female, as a huge toad appeared in a poof and destroyed a good portion of Itachi's wall.  
  
"Ora, ora! How dare you steal my future disciple, you akatsuki freak!" declared the ever lovable ero sennin, Jiraiya.  
  
Itachi crossed his arms and began to massage his forehead in despair. Things couldn't get any worse than this, could they?  
  
***  
  
Hours later, Itachi chose to retract his earlier words as he observed his once peaceful, dark and moody home turned into a chaotic playpen by the kyubi brat, and the two sennins who was once trained by the Sandaime himself. A series of "kage bunshin no jutsus" as well as "harem no jutsu" could be heard as Naruto vented out his frustration of not learning a single jutsu while in the recent tutelage of Jiraiya, Jiraiya's carelessness which led to Naruto being kidnapped, and his shock at learning that the gorgeous twenty-five year old, was actually an old hag of fifty or so odd years. Which in turn led to Tsunade-sama's cruel if not inventive retributions to the little brat who dared to insult her physical beauty and punishment to Jiraiya for interrupting Itachi's punishment.  
  
Veins twitching in annoyance, Itachi lost his composure for the first time in his life.  
  
"Shut up all of you!" he lashed out, chakra swirling around him, and his Sharingan eyes seeming to glow as he advanced upon the antagonists.  
  
Three pairs of stunned eyes with slack jaws stared at Itachi in shock.  
  
"Ano sah... who are you anyway?" Naruto asked clueless, once again displaying a stunning amount of common sense (or lack thereof). Clueless to the rising level of chakra, Naruto glanced up at Itachi with an air of mock innocence. A hasty swipe at Naruto's head by Jiraiya sent Naruto crashing to the floor ending the tense moment.  
  
"Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-sama, we will discuss whatever you wish to, sitting down. No insults or petty comments or I will kill you regardless of past alliances," Itachi stated with clenched teeth. The little brat seemed to make everything more excited and it was annoying since he could barely tolerate lively companions.  
  
Mutely, they nodded and found a table that wasn't broken and still retained its four chairs. The three seated themselves and patiently waited for Itachi to talk.  
  
"Itachi-kun, gomen ne for ruining your home. I'm sure little Naruto will clean it for you," Tsunade began casually as she covered the little boy's mouth with her palm, heedless of the fact that she was also covering his breathing facilities.  
  
"Do not concern yourselves with such trivialities," Itachi answered politely. He felt like massaging his brows to relax the knot that had grown in his back in the presence of the brat.  
  
"Tsunade chan~," Jiraiya noted in a gleeful tone, "little fox boy is turning a beautiful shade of blue~"  
  
Tsunade looked bemusedly at little Naruto to see that he really was a little blue. Carelessly, she removed her hand and glared at the brat, forcing him to shut up with her blazing presence.  
  
"Before you ask questions, please let me explain," Itachi requested as he relaxed in his chair. A quiet discussion would settle the fate of the brat and questions his former mentors would have. "Approximately six years ago, the Uchiha clan planned a revolt to overthrow the Sandaime-sama and create their own government. Normally, this situation is very implausible had it been any other clan. However, the Uchiha were masters of the Sharingan and desired more power than they held. I myself, was a member of the anbu forces, and did not really notice the events stirring in my family compound until I accidentally eavesdropped on a conversation between my father and the head of the Uchiha clan. With torn loyalties, I informed Sandaime-sama about the impending revolt and was ordered to complete an S-class mission. It was to destroy the clan and infiltrate the Akatsuki organization, a group of prestigious S-class criminals. I do not know what occurred after I left the village to pursue my mission. For four years, I have been in the organization, undermining their pursuits as much as possible while seeking power to ensure my own survival. It wouldn't do to die and let the information rot in me. Then the organization learned about the kyubi and its limitless chakra potential. Being familiar with Konoha village, I was naturally selected to immobilize the brat and take him to the organization for study. I pronounced the mission complete when I killed Kisame, my Akatsuki partner, and decided to take on the challenge of training the brat since normal chakra methods will not work for him. That is all." He leaned back in his chair, knowing his explanation would satisfy the two sennins on his whereabouts during the past four years.  
  
"Is that why you kidnapped Naruto from me brat?" Jiraiya asked bluntly. His face showed irritation at being outwitted by a mere seventeen year old.  
  
Itachi nodded as he stared at Jiraiya's eyes. "It was necessary."  
  
Jiraiya hmphed in response and turned his body to look in another direction, mentally cursing at the Uchiha brat's correct assumptions of his own character. At least the boy had the courtesy of having a cute chick flirting with him when he was fooled. "Ne... the three of us should train the brat not to be a liability. Especially since the Akatsuki and others are after the Kyubi sealed in him, the three of us are enough to protect him and teach him to control both chakras," Tsunade reflected softly, her body relaxed and a finger at her brow.  
  
Itachi sighed as he considered her proposition. It would make a lot of things easier. And training with the two sennins would increase his own power, which had been the initial objective of kidnapping the brat. He was torn between his own greed and the affection he saw in Tsunade-sama's eyes. It had been a terribly long time since he felt secure and alive with anyone.  
  
"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS OLD HAG~!" a recovered Naruto interjected forcefully. Naruto struggled to his feet and glared at the three people who were deciding his life.  
  
"Shut up Naruto," Jiraiya commanded quietly as Naruto opened his mouth in protest once more. "There is more at stake here than your pride gaki."  
  
Itachi imperceptibly smiled as Naruto closed his mouth in resignation. The boy's cerulean blue eyes furrowed as it was obvious that the boy was attempting to think.  
  
"Hmph," Itachi muttered, it was his version of an agreement, something Tsunade would remember if she bothered to.  
  
Tsunade looked at him kindly before turning a harder gaze to Jiraiya. Itachi hid a smirk as Jiraiya physically winced under the heavy gaze of the first Hokage's grand-daughter.  
  
"Yeah, yeah..."  
  
"Then it is settled," Tsunade stated, then turned to the now baffled Naruto, "You're training begins tomorrow."  
  
Itachi hid his full blown smile in his cloak as Naruto's face shone with joy.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Yay~! End of chapter two... 


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